Renata Okonkwo

Profile

Instructional leader with 14 years in K–12 education, including 6 years as a building principal in high-need urban districts. Specializes in data-driven curriculum alignment, restorative discipline practices, and staff development that measurably closes achievement gaps. Led a Title I elementary school from a D to a B state rating in three years while reducing teacher turnover by 38%.

Work Experience

PrincipalAug 2019 - Present

Westlake Elementary School – Columbus City Schools, Columbus, OH

Elevated school performance rating from D to B (Ohio State Report Card) by implementing a tiered intervention framework that raised 3rd-grade reading proficiency from 41% to 67% over three years.
Reduced chronic absenteeism by 29% through a community partnership program with 4 local nonprofits, providing on-site family counseling and wraparound services for 312 at-risk students.
Decreased annual teacher turnover from 34% to 21% by launching a structured mentorship cohort and redesigning the instructional coaching model, saving an estimated $180,000 in annual recruitment costs.

Assistant PrincipalJul 2016 - Jul 2019

Northside Middle School – Columbus City Schools, Columbus, OH

Managed a $2.1M Title I budget, reallocating 18% toward targeted literacy resources that contributed to a 14-point gain in 6th-grade ELA scores on state assessments.
Designed and facilitated 40+ hours of annual professional development for 62 staff members, earning a 91% teacher satisfaction rating on post-session surveys.
Implemented restorative justice practices school-wide, cutting out-of-school suspensions by 44% in two years and improving the school climate index score from 58 to 79 out of 100.

5th Grade Teacher & Instructional LeadAug 2010 - Jun 2016

Garfield Park Academy – Dayton Public Schools, Dayton, OH

Achieved top-quartile student growth scores in math for four consecutive years, with 78% of students meeting or exceeding grade-level benchmarks by 2015–16.
Chaired a 9-member curriculum committee that revised the district's K–5 math scope and sequence, adopted by all 11 elementary buildings in 2014.
Mentored 6 early-career teachers as instructional lead, 5 of whom earned Accomplished ratings on OTES evaluations within two years.

Education

Ed.D. in Educational Leadership2017 - 2020

Ohio State University, Columbus, OH

Dissertation: Restorative Practices and Discipline Disparities in Urban Title I Schools

M.Ed. in Curriculum & Instruction2012 - 2014

University of Dayton, Dayton, OH

Graduate Fellowship Recipient

B.S. in Elementary Education2006 - 2010

Ohio University, Athens, OH

Magna Cum Laude; Dean's List 6 semesters

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